Strange Aeons: Off-Camera RP [IC-Interactive]

[lostsole31]

This is page is the general RP page for our Strange Aeons campaign.
This is the link for the Strange Aeons Coffee House [Combined OOC] (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?503230-Strange-Aeons-Coffee-House-Combined-OOC). (Only for reference. This thread is closed.)
This is the link for the (current) Strange Aeons Bistro [OOC #2] (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?532802-Strange-Aeons-Bistro-OOC-2).
This is the link for Group #1's IC: I Know Your Damn Words! (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?504263-I-Know-Your-Damn-Words!-IC-Group-1)
This is the link for Group #2's IC: In Search of Sanity (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?504265-In-Search-of-Sanity-IC-Group-2)

So, here is where the RP magic lives when it doesn't drive the story. Now, obviously anything which is time-sensitive or needs to be discussed IC lives there because it is absolutely intrinsic to the forward motion of the plot itself. Here is where the characters (not the players) chat to each other about ... whatever. Side comments in the middle of things still are IC. NPCs are also people that might chat to one, many, or all of you; but the last is likely only when doing general discussion, not setting up the plot.
NOTE: The "IC" verisimilitude is to be kept. This is not for bizarre cross-campaign PC-speak between Group #1 or #2, nor is it "off the record" RP ... what happens here, even if not a prime mover for the story, still becomes part of canon and what has been discussed among characters. Again, "off camera" is not "off record."

Because Interactive Threads rarely peg high on post-count, as with the OOC this is also a combined thread. So, my normal rule of Spoilers is particularly necessary. Below is my "stock example" for this type of thread, and only meemaas will recognize the characters. (Though, if silphael did his homework, he might actually recognize the name "Paxre" from Shattered Star from before he joined that game.)

Please use this Spoiler format to identify participants in a conversation.
Yup, it's really that simple.
So, as an example, Delta wants to say something to Paxre, and this thread is used because it might not have anything to do with the real plot (but still might become important later). It is also to denote retcons (within reason). So, let's say meemaas' character Delta wants to ask Paxre something. In a post, meemaas woud write this.
"Paxre, there is a strange effect that occurs when I am near you, and doubled ... tripled in intensity once the link was established," said Delta. "I will admit that it is dark and discomfiting."
Then, PSinger might respond in a post:
"Is there question in there somewhere?" Paxre asked with no sense of sarcasm at all, which is quite against what one would expect for irony, and likely confused as insult by most, anyway.
Of course, since specific persons are talking to another (in a one-on-one), narration isn't even necessary if you don't have anything special to mention/ RP about intonation or conversation-actions, and you can just "talk in character" with the proper color. Still, I the grammarian in me asks that just as with IC you respect the power of punctuation ... particularly quotation marks ... and remember speech color. You may need to embolden speech if it is hard to read against the olive field of spoilers.

[lostsole31]

Focused on the man's tale, the ashen-faced man seems to only blink when Shmuel uses a word he doesn't recognize. Or he could just be blinking normally; there were a lot of them. "You remember far more than the rest of us, then - I apologize for being rude, but I have no name to gift you with in return. Tell me, how did you realize that these creatures were dybbukim?"
"You know," Sam thinks about it, looking at the ashen-faced man's shirt, "A Parisian named Victor Hugo wrote a book during the War of Northern Aggression called Les Misérables. The protagonist was a man by the name of Jean Valjean, a man of great faith and physical strength - a real quiet hero. The policeman who tracked him across two decades - his name was Javert - only used Valjean's legal name for specific effect, but otherwise only referred to him by his prisoner designation - 24601. It was a way of dehumanizing him in Javert's eyes, a form of stripping away Valjean's dignity. In the end, Valjean's continuing acts of mercy forced Javert to concede that his own way was a prideful and false manner of faith.

"I digress, wonderful story, anyway ... I couldn't help but notice that we seem to be in what appears to be someplace that reminds me of hospital and prison at once, and that we are wrongfully here. The remainder of an embroidered number happens to be 601 ... like 24601. So, unless you come up with a better name - and even though you look more like a Barbary pirate than a Frenchman - I'll call you Jean, if that's alright." [EDITOR'S NOTE: French pronunciation of that name, of course.]

[digiman619]

So how'd you get elected Sheriff? I'd imagine all of The Church-folk would've voted against you.

[lostsole31]

"I was the only one who was willing to take the job ... or alive to."

[pfm1995]

The ashen-faced man tries the word out, working the unfamiliar pronunciation. "Jean... A name is a gift, and you have now given me two - yours and my own. Thank you."

[lostsole31]

Sam nods slowly in answer to Jean's gratitude. "Oh, and I didn't know that these were dybukkim, but I didn't know what else to call them. But they can be killed easily enough, it seems, not like stories of the dybuk ... so 'Gray' is as good as anything for now."

[digiman619]

You still didn't answer the man's question: What are those things and how did you know about them?

[lostsole31]

"What the Grays actually are?" he shrugs, "I don't know. A dybbuk is a creature from the lore of my people - a creature ascribed with various powers in folklore - but often dealing with changing shape and possessing objects. Basically, some type of demon. When that Berber was having her way with me and changed into that Gray form, stories of the dybbuk is what came to mind."

[digiman619]

I get that you were doing what you felt right, but if it has a mind, it has a choice. If it succumbs to its grisly hunger, then you are putting it out of its misery for its sake and everyone else's. But until then, it can choose not to. It's not a demon who is made of evil, it's the animate remains of a person, and until it shows that it can't function as a person, it deserves to be treated as one.

[meemaas]

Haru turns abruptly on Flair to respond. "This creature was Undead. There is no redemption from that. Evil magic animates it, and Evil magic controls it." He pauses. "Besides which, say we had released it. How long do you think it would take before it came across the barricade and those guards shot it down anyways? Even being accompanied by us would have still left it to die by their hands. We aren't here to save monsters, its best you remember that."

[digiman619]

"And the Devil was an angel once, too. Things. Can. Change." Flair said, pausing after each of the last three words for emphasis. He then closes his eyes, inhales slowly, and nods. "But you're right. Even if this one could have been redeemed, there was practically no way to get it out of here, we have no way of knowing if it would work, and we have more pressing matters. Let's get to them, shall we?"

[meemaas]

"Remember that quote. The Devil was once good. Not the other way around."

[lostsole31]

In response to Bang's tepe ...

"No, and I will thank you to keep any mention that you have active telepathic contact with me as an item of utmost discretion, thank you."

[bcool999]

"Very well... I will admit as to being curious as to your reasons but I shall not pry. Consider it an item of patient-doctor confidentiality then."

[lostsole31]

"I am still getting a handle on the prejudices endemic to this society compared to what I remember, think I remember, or with those memories with which I was injected. Thank you, doctor.'

[BuckGodot]

"You seem... a man of... convictions... and faith. Perhaps you would like to join me in my morning... meditations? I find it helps... keep me focused during... the day. I rise early..."

[PSinger]

Dorn nods in affirmation.

Boo-boo, that pink just isn't working in spoilers. For conversation, can you bold your speech please when spoilered, because it is really hard to read.

[lostsole31]

Surprisingly, when Zoo comes out here, the weather is calm. True, the roiling yellow fog makes everything muted and subdued, but the weather is calm ... no strange candy smells or rain seeming to come upwards or anything like that.

Zoo instantly finds that in trying to grow anything, his attempt is mutated, warped, and not entirely under his control (nor wholly autonomous). It is as if the very land is diseased, and anything growing in it fights for dominance, even when magically generated. Of course, while not saying exactly what, this is its own indicator of things ... an indicator of what, however, is another matter.

Realizing you might do more harm than good, you put down your weak creation and go back inside for the evening.

[lostsole31]

At Winter's words, Corbin makes some kind of horrible trilling sound that might be mistaken for a sigh. "If its already spread about the place, Ill be correcting people for weeks, so I suppose it cant be helped. Better motivation to get free."

He then jabs a castigating talon in Heck's direction. "HOWEVER, if I die here, you better come up with something better for the tombstone."
Heck playfully throws a few things out there. You might not know what they mean, but you have an idea they all deal with a similar theme. "Let's see. We could call you Bertrand Byrne, for those that love alliteration. Or, maybe we give a nod to your cleverness and willingness to work with others with Merle Wolfram. Or, Lonan Crawford for something much more pedestrian. I know, we could put a real Old Taldane spin on things and call you Senor Beltran Velazquez! Makes you sound like royalty."

Nursing his headache and feeling tired, Bangs nevertheless listens in on the impromptu meeting. He keeps silent for the most part since no one is really wrong. The group tried their best to save what appeared to be innocent and safe, and the others took care of it when we were wrong. When Corbin mentions a tombstone, even if only in jest, Bangs remembers the disappearing bodies and laments, "Unfortunately, the tombstone is about all we can guarantee. Bodies seem to... disappear. Not in the sense that they rise as monsters or are dug up by scavengers... the bodies just disappear as if they never were. A rather disturbing peculiarity amidst a host of other horrifying unknowns."
At this, Winter picks up with interest. "What ... do you mean? You've had two deaths so far: Sandra and Amiri. You built cairns for them from the rubble. What happened to them."

Sort of a silly question since Bangs actually answered, but sometimes a person hears something they aren't sure they heard right or need to hear again to be sure.

[lostsole31]

Heck will always have this very exaggerated pronunciation. As if to show that absolutely every syllable he speaks was particularly chosen for effect. To that end, there is a background condescension that he likely he can never fully dispose. That said, Flair does note a much less "full of himself" quality in Heck's voice when Flair is by himself with his 100-foot stare (in a place like this, that's a long way) and he hears the dwarf speak. "If I may, I would like to see if we can't ameliorate the broken first meeting we had. We each experienced very harrowing, emotional experiences today. You experienced the death of a lover, if I heard correctly. As for myself, teaching the children in this madhouse is the only thing that gives some sense of purpose in what seems like waiting to die rather than hoping to be rescued. When the children were put at risk - for I have grown quite fond of the little pests - something snapped. Looking back, the only reason I braved hostile territory was less to do with the fact that Corbin [sic] proved himself so capably deadly, inasmuch as this place finally had gotten to me and I was going to give someone ... anyone ... anything ... a piece of my mind. By rolling past whatever grief you suffered, and the many dangers that all of you have braved for all of our sakes, please forgive me."

[bcool999]

"It's as I said, as unbelievable as it sounds, in almost the same manner as Ben disappeared, or Flair appeared. The cairn just settled over where the body was, but where the body goes is unknown." Bangs sighs tiredly for a moment, perhaps feeling overwhelmed at everything he doesn't understand, including himself before saying, "Perhaps the chapel could provide some protection to the graves of the dead, but there is little enough room for the living, and a reminder of their mortality is the last thing they need."

[digiman619]

Flair let out a long sigh. "No, it's fine. I've just been under a lot of stress lately. And Amiri and I... as far as I could tell, it was a one-time thing. It was a pleasant night in a horrifying hell, and I'm glad I got at least that." A smile plasters over his lips as he remembers, though it was quickly replaced by a far more serious expression.

"So what did I miss?" he asked, his tone now deadly serious. "Outside of divinations to detect its evil intent or that it was a shapeshifter, what else should I have done to not endanger those around me?"

[lostsole31]

"It's as I said, as unbelievable as it sounds, in almost the same manner as Ben disappeared, or Flair appeared. The cairn just settled over where the body was, but where the body goes is unknown." Bangs sighs tiredly for a moment, perhaps feeling overwhelmed at everything he doesn't understand, including himself before saying, "Perhaps the chapel could provide some protection to the graves of the dead, but there is little enough room for the living, and a reminder of their mortality is the last thing they need."
"I don't follow. I mean, I will get to your philosophical point (for I flatly disagree), but what did you mean by a disappearance, and Flair's appearance?"

"So what did I miss?" he asked, his tone now deadly serious. "Outside of divinations to detect its evil intent or that it was a shapeshifter, what else should I have done to not endanger those around me?"
Heck holds up a scolding finger and gives a little head shake. "Unh-unh-unh, very sneaky that ... defining a limiter when you know that is exactly what is required in this situation. That is not a proper argumentative tactic. While not a logical fallacy, it is a 'steering caveat' designed to pre-empt or dismiss a known counter to one's argument so as to not have to create a logical fallacy, for fear that one's own possible counter-argument holds no merit to debunk the incoming datum point. Really, I thought a cleric such as yourself would have known better. Didn't they teach you that in Proselytizing 101?"

He thinks for a second as to whether to say anything or not (likely while Flair is mulling over something he just said). "Given: I acted out of anger. I was not pursuing evidence in hindsight to determine if you and your people had the means to detect the esipil. Observed: The esipil seemed to act like a dog. What drove me to take action was instinct, not evidence. Therefore: the accusation that you and your people were directly responsible for any malice was entirely unfounded and spoken out of anger.

"Were you (plural) 'guilty' of breaking what is effectively our 'containment of safety' due to emotional issues that led to an unsafe condition? Yes, but I don't think we need to harp on that anymore. You now know what's at stake and who could be hurt, and how this awful place seems to have a malignant will to conspire against our feeling of safety. Winter chatted on that, say no more.

"To answer your question," he says after a long breath, "is that I seemed to be - how shall I say it - 'saddled' with some interesting abilities. My congenital physical deformities seem to have an odd mirror in that my mind is particularly perspicacious. I am sometimes able to perceive things that normal people cannot. Very troubling for a man like myself who likes to know what is what through empirical observation. Well, one of my abilities - though it takes some concentration - is the detection of, how shall we call it? A stain of sin? Not just the possiblity of waywardness or a moral ambivalence, but a really dark heart. I can't detect intent, mind you, and a person may be in good humor. But if I concentrate, I can tell when such a person hides true moral decay and rot."

The last part was brought in closer and closer, very conspiratorially, but now he sits back again and shrugs. "Unfortunately, it's not something that is admissable in any kind of case, but it can be handy. Well, when my instinct hit me to try with the esipil, I detected a strength of evil that is very rare, and impossible for any animal. Luckily, my gift for fooling folks and furry ones - well, not animals, but an outsider - carried over against this thing, who probably never realized what I had done. So, I set up the situation to control the kill as fully as possible. I couldn't remove the children from the room without tipping off the hound. But I set up a deception that the desk needed maintenance, and I bragged to the children about my 'tengu friend' (they were quite excited to actually talk to him, let me say).

"Still, in any normal day situation, it just gives me a sense of whom to trust ... not that I can take any action, or necessarily should ... but is a good guide. At that point, I have other tricks that can help me find the information I need."
You are a PC, and act as you will, but just to give you a sense of things ... Heck's Diplomacy result in this encounter was in excess of 30.

[digiman619]

Flair raised a finger at Heck's chiding. "I added those conditions because those were the conditions of the situation I was in. The proper way to drive a nail through wood is a hammer, but sometimes all you have is a chisel, I know that having some magic to identify what it was would have been the ideal situation, but I didn't have access to them. Learning the proper technique with improper tools is vital if the need arises and you lack the right tools."

He smiles when he explains how he determined what the 'puppy' truly was. "You know, that actually does a lot to ease my mind. There wan't something I missed; you just used your knack to ferret it out. It's as though you can see a shade of color none of the rest of us can, so I don't feel as guilty that I couldn't identify that it was that hue."

[lostsole31]

Flair raised a finger at Heck's chiding. "I added those conditions because those were the conditions of the situation I was in. The proper way to drive a nail through wood is a hammer, but sometimes all you have is a chisel, I know that having some magic to identify what it was would have been the ideal situation, but I didn't have access to them. Learning the proper technique with improper tools is vital if the need arises and you lack the right tools."

He smiles when he explains how he determined what the 'puppy' truly was. "You know, that actually does a lot to ease my mind. There wan't something I missed; you just used your knack to ferret it out. It's as though you can see a shade of color none of the rest of us can, so I don't feel as guilty that I couldn't identify that it was that hue.""That's me all over," he says in his uppity-playful tone. "I have lived a colorful life, and so I see all the colors, even though shades of gray are my spess-ee-allity.

"So, you'll forgive me, but I do have to say again how amazed I am that you know what espipil and their ilk are. Not many people know such apocrypha. Is that seminary training, or something you knew before, or something you picked up after the cassock? What else do you consider your wheelhouses of lore, if any?"

[digiman619]

"That's me all over," he says in his uppity-playful tone. "I have lived a colorful life, and so I see all the colors, even though shades of gray are my spess-ee-allity.

"So, you'll forgive me, but I do have to say again how amazed I am that you know what espipil and their ilk are. Not many people know such apocrypha. Is that seminary training, or something you knew before, or something you picked up after the cassock? What else do you consider your wheelhouses of lore, if any?"
Flair rasied an eyebrow. "What makes you think I am a priest? Not that I have anything against the divine, but faith isn't the source of my power. As for lore, I am a regular font of knowledge, except, of course, for who I was before I got here. If I had to pick a specialty, it's have to be the interplay of the planes and outsiders, though knowing that there are outsiders that can take the form of puppies was little help in actually seeing it as what it was. Though, if I'm being honest, close behind that is my knowledge of the martial arts; the various disciplines from Broken Blade to Veiled Moon, I know a lot about how they work. I think I used to practice it, but it's one of the many memories that still elude me."

"I'm also quite knowledgeable about religion,history and magic, though the last one is more academical than practical; I know the difference between the modern spells to the more ancient spheres, but i couldn't identify one from the other if you cast it in front of me. And I have a respectful dabbling in most other fields of knowledge." Flair then coyly raises an eyebrow, "Why, was there something you'd like to talk about?"

[lostsole31]

Flair rasied an eyebrow. "What makes you think I am a priest? Not that I have anything against the divine, but faith isn't the source of my power. As for lore, I am a regular font of knowledge, except, of course, for who I was before I got here. If I had to pick a specialty, it's have to be the interplay of the planes and outsiders, though knowing that there are outsiders that can take the form of puppies was little help in actually seeing it as what it was. Though, if I'm being honest, close behind that is my knowledge of the martial arts; the various disciplines from Broken Blade to Veiled Moon, I know a lot about how they work. I think I used to practice it, but it's one of the many memories that still elude me."

"I'm also quite knowledgeable about religion,history and magic, though the last one is more academical than practical; I know the difference between the modern spells to the more ancient spheres, but i couldn't identify one from the other if you cast it in front of me. And I have a respectful dabbling in most other fields of knowledge." Flair then coyly raises an eyebrow, "Why, was there something you'd like to talk about?"
Heck, when asked about the priest, is taken aback ... as much by his own assumption as Flair's 'confession.' "You know, I actually have no idea. I've really been allowing my instinct to run roughshod over my intellect and it is getting to be very embarrassing. It's not like I've seen you act like a priest. Maybe it's your knowledge, your youth, and the way you seem to shepherd the others rather than try to strongarm them? I don't know. I rescind all disparaging remarks I've made concerning you as a man of the cloth. Maybe .... it was the tag on your sack that I happened to see that made me think of that, but I can't for the life of me remember why."

Concerning subject matter expertise. "I'd like to think I am at least meagerly conversant in most major subjects. I am sure any true academic of several of those fields will see through my dilettantism in a cold minute. There are certain fields of which I can say I am quite well-read, but 'well-read' is the operative term, isn't it? It means, from books, not from any experiential knowledge other than politics. And politics is my gift. The who begat whom, and what nation does what, and heraldric symbols, flags, courtly address, and such and so forth. After that, histories, myths, legends, and finally modern legends, cultures, and quite a bit on the law. If there is one place where I admit I have no skill whatsoever, that would be understanding magic. I have some theoretical understanding of 'hardware' - that is, magical items - or at least the operation of such. But when it comes to understanding spell mechanics and so forth, rather than the traditions that support them, I am absolutely bereft. I am quite puissant on various faith systems and so forth, but I am a little less knowledgeable on practical occult traditions and esoterica, but mainly because the stories I love to read deal with heroes of unshakeable faith overcoming whatever-ails-them to save the day."

He then goes on to admit that he has heard and studied the texts of stories that would have heroes in them, and so by entire happenstance has heard of Broken Blade, Veiled Moon, and several others.

"To be honest, if you are more adroit with matters cosmological than I - and their incipient Prime cousins - I would pick your brain to know more. But in truth, you seem to have used Infernal. If you actually speak Infernal, I have found that a fascinating language for cursing in, and I think that might make a good next language ... especially to supplement any planar tutoring you would have for me."

[bcool999]

Bangs stares at Winter for a long while, wondering if she cracked under the pressure or was making some sick joke. Though it is always possible that Bangs was the one cracking especially if his suspicions over that enemy leader's words turns out to be true... shaking off his doubts for now, Bangs decides that worrying others about things they can't do anything about would merely detract from doing what they can with what they have.
"If you honestly don't know what I am talking about... don't worry about it. Just understand that bodies don't seem to stay buried. If you know how to prevent it then good otherwise... we just really need to escape."

[digiman619]

Heck, when asked about the priest, is taken aback ... as much by his own assumption as Flair's 'confession.' "You know, I actually have no idea. I've really been allowing my instinct to run roughshod over my intellect and it is getting to be very embarrassing. It's not like I've seen you act like a priest. Maybe it's your knowledge, your youth, and the way you seem to shepherd the others rather than try to strongarm them? I don't know. I rescind all disparaging remarks I've made concerning you as a man of the cloth. Maybe .... it was the tag on your sack that I happened to see that made me think of that, but I can't for the life of me remember why."

Concerning subject matter expertise. "I'd like to think I am at least meagerly conversant in most major subjects. I am sure any true academic of several of those fields will see through my dilettantism in a cold minute. There are certain fields of which I can say I am quite well-read, but 'well-read' is the operative term, isn't it? It means, from books, not from any experiential knowledge other than politics. And politics is my gift. The who begat whom, and what nation does what, and heraldric symbols, flags, courtly address, and such and so forth. After that, histories, myths, legends, and finally modern legends, cultures, and quite a bit on the law. If there is one place where I admit I have no skill whatsoever, that would be understanding magic. I have some theoretical understanding of 'hardware' - that is, magical items - or at least the operation of such. But when it comes to understanding spell mechanics and so forth, rather than the traditions that support them, I am absolutely bereft. I am quite puissant on various faith systems and so forth, but I am a little less knowledgeable on practical occult traditions and esoterica, but mainly because the stories I love to read deal with heroes of unshakeable faith overcoming whatever-ails-them to save the day."

He then goes on to admit that he has heard and studied the texts of stories that would have heroes in them, and so by entire happenstance has heard of Broken Blade, Veiled Moon, and several others.

"To be honest, if you are more adroit with matters cosmological than I - and their incipient Prime cousins - I would pick your brain to know more. But in truth, you seem to have used Infernal. If you actually speak Infernal, I have found that a fascinating language for cursing in, and I think that might make a good next language ... especially to supplement any planar tutoring you would have for me."

Flair thought for a second about telling him about his connection to the Dazzling Duelist, but he got the feeling that it would only paint him as a cleric again. "I could tell you about the sigil, but I think I like having secrets, especially in a place such as this, where necessity has forced us into such cramped living quarters. And yes, I can speak the language of the devils. I can also speak the language of the angels, and of the dragons and of the woodland fey. I don't really consider myself much of a teacher, but I could help you learn a few colorful phrases."

[lostsole31]

" .... And yes, I can speak the language of the devils. I can also speak the language of the angels, and of the dragons and of the woodland fey. I don't really consider myself much of a teacher, but I could help you learn a few colorful phrases."
OOC: So, what we have is one of the cognitive breaks here. See, you can't list off what you think you could in game terms. This is the first time this has happened. So, I am going to 'change' this.

"And yes, I can speak the language of the devils, if they speak Italian . I can also speak Hebrew [Celestial], Latin [Draconic], French [Sylvan]. [Not listed, Russian [Abyssal] and a sort of Slavic mix (name any one) [Varisian, with Italian thrown in as well there, too]."

You don't know that these language names are odd, so you would have no reason [I]not to say them.

[digiman619]

Flair thought for a second about telling him about his connection to the Dazzling Duelist, but he got the feeling that it would only paint him as a cleric again. "I could tell you about the sigil, but I think I like having secrets, especially in a place such as this, where necessity has forced us into such cramped living quarters. And yes, I can speak the language of the devils. I can also speak the language of the angels, and of the dragons and of the woodland fey. I don't really consider myself much of a teacher, but I could help you learn a few colorful phrases."
Flair was confused. "Infernal? What are you talking about? The only language I slipped into was Italian. And while Italy has its problems, Hell it ain't."

[lostsole31]

Heck seems to process that. "Well, it is certainly a lovely, flowing tongue with a sing-song nature. I'd be willing to learn if you would be willing to teach!"

[digiman619]

"In a bit", Flair said, trying to figure the lingual kerfuffle. He switched to French. "<What language am I speaking now?>"

[lostsole31]

Heck looks discerningly, and in English repeats, "I am pretty sure you are asking me a question, but I don't understand what you are saying."

[digiman619]

"I'm trying something" Flair answers. He then tries the same in his other languages.

[lostsole31]

Heck is able to answer and respond to you in English [Taldane], Romanian [Varisian], and Latin [Draconic]. His name for the languages is strange, especially when he actually says "Draconic."

[digiman619]

The last one surprised him the most. Dragons spoke Latin? It made sense from a certain point of view; dragons were powerful beings from time immemorial, so speaking an ancient language makes sense. Still, he'd have thought dragons would have had better taste than to use Latin. Though now that he thought even further on the matter, Latin was so inefficient that perhaps they used it as a puzzle; 'You must be this smart to speak with the dragon' as it were.

To Heck, he said "Sorry, it's just that these are the lounges of various Human peoples rather than what dragons or devils speak where I'm from. Or at least, they are as far as I can recall. The vagaries of my mind are sometimes maddening." He pauses for a second "By that, I mean, it's very frustrating, not that I actually went insane because of it." this is followed by a slightly longer pause. "As far as I can tell, anyway."

As if to wash that last bit away, he then offers to teach Heck a few more colorful Italian phrases.

[lostsole31]

"Lounges?" Hahahaha? Also, yes, Draconic is maddening. And yet, you can't help feeling some instinctive reverence for the language, but you're not sure why you feel that way. Out of context from a memory to put with the instinct, it seems silly.

You will find he is a devastatingly quick study, and that is where we will end this as you work on Italian with him......

[digiman619]

Before Heck enters the chapel, Flair takes him aside "I'm not going to waste my time telling you to stay away from the library as we don't have it fully secured yet; you're going to go there regardless of what I say. What I am going to ask is that if you do go there and do meet any of the ratlings there, remain civil. Perhaps you're right and I'm wasting my time trying to be diplomatic with them, but on the off chance I'm not, please non scopare questo; I don't want to fight any more of these guys if I don't have to."

Heck says, "I don't speak ... whatever that phrase was. No-scoopy queso?"

Flair groaned. "Fine. In English then. Don't **** this up! These guys are a pain in the ass to fight; I almost bled to death today and I don't want to fight any more if I don't have to. And while I'm at it, you're the one with the power to detect evil intent or whatnot. Did you even bother to check Genny out, or were you just grabbing your pitchfork going and going 'Kill the monster!'?"

As a side note, I'd like to note that like 80% of this thread is Flair talking to NPCs.

[lostsole31]

"Despite lacking sophistication, I've always found farmers to possess surprisingly pragmatic wisdom.

[digiman619]

"Don't give me your homilies!" Flair said, anger really startign to flare. "Did you or did you not use your Sight to determine if Genny had malicious intent?"

[lostsole31]

"Homilies?! Ha!" he laughs, mockingly. "So, in one sentence of opinionated observation, you perceive that I gave a full-blown religious discourse that is intended for spiritual edification rather than doctrinal instruction ... a sermon."

He juts out his lower jaw and lip as if to say, "Huh."

"Believe me, padre, if there's one thing you needn't worry from me, it's religious platitudes. I would not dare compete with you in the forming of your flock." He starts to walk away (towards the library) before turning back around where the Argus Wall used to be. "As to your question, yes."

He turns and heads to the library.

[digiman619]

Flair was about to yell that he wasn't a priest when the second half of Heck's words hit him. Had he misread again? Did he lack the cognitive abilities to read people as well as he thought he did? It was a troubling thought, and it hung in his mind for the rest of the day.

[lostsole31]

Dreams of the Restless ...
Akbar, you wander in an endless cloud of yellow vapor. Other shapes form and vanish in the mist, fleeting, unsettling things that refuse to be focused upon. After what seems like a lifetime, an exhausted-looking man with a ponytail of straight, white hair stumbles through the fog. He’s insane with desperation. He tries to pass Akbar by.

Akbar, do you do anything in your dream?
The dream begins as a scene in now-familiar deserted alleys, with Corbin wandering an endless, alien city pursued by mists. Soon, a wall collapses, revealing a disproportionately small room. Inside, an ancient Keleshyte woman sits on a stool at a simple table. She looks up at Corbin and offers a simple piece of cryptic advice.

"Briarstone's mistress draws closer," her ancient voice creaks.

The dream ends immediately after. When you awaken, you feel as if you haven't really rested. You are not so bad that you are fatigued (yet), but it still wasn't "restful sleep, per se.

[digiman619]

Upon leaving the audience with Winter, Flair turned to Bangs. "You should have told me that you wanted to quarantine us. I would have waited to see if it was sickness or something wrong with the room that disrupted the party's abilities. As it stands, I fear my position within Winter's group may have been damaged."

[Swami Monsoon]

Akbar asks the stranger what's wrong and if he needs help.

[lostsole31]

Bangs, as was likely the intent, feels awkward by Flair's pointed remarks. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't realize you would have had a different take on it," he answers in his quiet way. "But, I still stand by my recommendation to Winter. Just because we are blessed by being made of stronger stuff doesn't mean that we put everyone at risk. They aren't as tough as we are - mentally or physically. No, I don't sense any psychic energy in the room, though Heck might be better at that than me to hear him boast. I don't know what's going on in the room or why dreams are difficult, but we can take it and still protect the other survivors, even if we don't like it and it makes for a rough night."
It seems that Akbar is at least noticed by the man who gapes at Akbar and shouts, "We're all lost here! We'll never escape!" before rushing away. His ranting, "What have I done? What have I done?" follows him as the dream ends.

--- End ---

[digiman619]

Flair sighed. "No, it was the right choice. I just wish you gave me heads up. I should have waited until we had more data to make a conclusion anyway."

[lostsole31]

The dream begins just as it did before ... now-familiar deserted alleys, with Corbin wandering an endless, alien city pursued by mists. Soon, a wall collapses, revealing a disproportionately small room. Inside, an ancient Keleshyte woman sits on a stool at a simple table. She looks up at Corbin and offers a simple piece of cryptic advice. This time, however, she says something else.

"Your past was sacrifice," her ancient voice creaks.

The dream ends immediately after. Just as before, when you awaken, you feel as if you haven't really rested. You are not so bad that you are fatigued (yet), but it still wasn't "restful sleep, per se.

[BuckGodot]

Björn cautiously approaches Jaume while he is looking through books in the library... If I'm not interupting...Hee hee... No time... ::Ahem:: It seems that Dorn has... Gained some... benefits? from joining me in my morning meditiations... If... you have the time...
Heh... time again... If you have time and would... like to share in those... benefits... you could... if you wanted...

[Blackhawk101]

BJ grabs Bjorn in a rough one armed hug. “Sure! I already practice morning meditation and prayers so joining you all would be just like I was back ....somewhere? ...I cannot remember where that was just now. Anyway that would be terrific! I could even teach you some martial forms. Very relaxing and good for your core strength!”

[BuckGodot]

Björn endures the hug stoically and then nods to Jaume. "I look... forward to it... You can join... tomorrow... Hee hee... If we make it till then..." He gives him the pertinant details on the whens and wheres.

[digiman619]

Snips leans up from her bed and become Zoo to come sit on the chair beside her. "I seem to recall telling you to fall back."

[SwordChucks]

Zoo grins "I did, and then I didn't."
He gestures to an empty space next to himself "Everyone agreed, no one else dies today."

[digiman619]

Snips is slightly apprehensive about getting out of bed (she didn't want the boss coming down on her), but she shrugs and gets out of bed, wearing a yellow tunic and brown knee-high skirt. She hobbles a bit before regaining her balance (getting chucks taken out of your thigh will do that to a person) and then sits next to him. "I know. That's why I flowed you to safety. The bird guy wasn't hurt. Why didn't you send him in?"

[SwordChucks]

Zoo laughs "I just told you, no one dies today. Besides Corbin uses a bow so he wouldn't be much use in the fog and it's not like I could have asked him. Dogs don't talk."

[digiman619]

"No, I meant-" she purses her lips, slightly confused on how continue. "You were no condition to go after that thing. One lucky hit would have ended you. You didn't have to do that."

[SwordChucks]

"No, I didn't, and yet here we are. Alive and distressingly denied voonith steak."

"It seems like you're having trouble figuring out how to say 'thank you'. It's not hard, you just say 'thank you' and try not to die. Either way get some sleep, I know I need some myself." Zoo says ready to flop into a cot.

[digiman619]

Snips is increasingly flustered. "It's not- Look, I'm trying to- Oh, Hell" She then smooches Zoo before flowing back into her bed, her arms crossed as she faces away from him,grumbling about him ruining her big moment,

[SwordChucks]

Zoo smiles again and gets up to head for bed. "You're welcome."

[lostsole31]

"My name is Lord Hector Hanley, but you usually people around here simply refer to me as 'Heck.' The dark-skinned gentleman there is, probably entirely even unknownst to himself, is an ifrit that goes by the name of 'Akbar.' And the rest of you are ....?"

[lostsole31]

Gaye doesn't say anything in Varisian in response to Flair, she simply gives a slight nod of understanding.

"Maeni, a pleasure. What are you, if you will forgive my bluntness, for I have never seen your like before."

She looks to the blue-eyed mop-head (Bangs). "And you? What is your name?"

She looks to the crow-man last. "Curious." She leans in close to look at him. "Javert? Is that you? Have you turned into a humanoid?"

[digiman619]

Flair frowned ever so slightly. He was willing to admit that it may have been a tab presumptuous to expect her to speak Romanian Varisian just because her name was in it. Perhaps she was named after a long dead relative and no one has spoken it in her family for generations, or she was named after a friend who spoke it, or hell, maybe her parents just took it from a book of baby names because it sounded pretty.

Regardless, it was easily twice as rude to simply ignore his introductions. She clearly speaks English Teldane like the rest of us, so it's not like she didn't understand his words. Is she a language snob and doesn't like other languages spoken? Does she just not like lanky men? Or men in general? Regardless, if she was going to ignore his words, he supposed he should do the same. Doubling down on his conversational partners, he turned back to Bjorn. "So what about you two? What's your skills that can help get us out of here?"

[Blackhawk101]

“Where did you come from and where are Bjorn and Gaye?” asks the clearly agitated brother. [after waiting for a response, he will provide his backstory] “My story is mostly still a mystery and what I do remember is full of gaps and inconsistencies. When I woke to this nightmare, I was in a cell with others watching a “Grey” torture someone. I didn’t know how I got there or who I was. We escaped and managed to find this sanctuary to rest at while we try to find a way out of here before we run out of food. Meanwhile, for no apparent reason, members of our group keep disappearing and others take there place. This has happened to me once before. I can remember some of my past now but somethings are still blurry. What about you?”

[Swami Monsoon]

"I know who I am. Mostly... but almost everyone else here seems new. I remember the asylum, and strange enemies and lots of fighting. But how much of that really happened?"

[PSinger]

Dorn answers Brother Jaume's question regarding himself, but for the sake of the two new persons. "I and friends I had were investigating a haunted, burnt-out old prison by the name of Harrowstone in the town of Ravengro in the northern part of Ustalav. Things took a bad turn and it looks like we were just about to be overborne by the most powerful haunt there - a vile creature once known as the Splatter Man - when I and my friend Gaye Kobor suddenly appeared at the Argus Wall out in the hallway along with the others here now that came with me. When we opened up the chaplain's records room, it seems that we were transported not only in place, but also in time. I am from a few years in the past.

"We did learn many fascinating things about our current internment. The first major thing is all that we learned in the library here. The second is what we learned from notes in the late administrator's office, including the oneirogen that was once the administrator herself. What about you two?" he asks of Heck and Akbar. "Did you learn from these places as well? We should trade notes to make sure there are no knowledge gaps since we were moved."

[BuckGodot]

Doubling down on his conversational partners, he turned back to Bjorn. "So what about you two? What's your skills that can help get us out of here?"

Björn looks back to this... person... and smiles. "I commune with... spirits who share the knowledge... they gained in their lives. If... you or your... combat proximity associates... wish to join... me for my medititions, they will also impart some of... that knowledge to you."

[digiman619]

Flair smiles. "You know, I do something similar, I suppose. And the Diva?"

[BuckGodot]

Björn looks confused and seems to be unfamiliar with the term...

[digiman619]

Flair sighed. Even if he didn't know the technical term, who else could he be talking about? "Her?" he said a tad disappointed, pointing with his hand as to not be rude.

[BuckGodot]

He follows the gesture and says "Ah! That... That is Gaye...She... She is... Well... Gaye..." He smiles and shrugs his shoulders...

[digiman619]

It took all his power, but Flair did not bury his head in his hands. Instead, striving to get through with this conversation and into something actually useful. "I think we'd better check in with the leader of this operation. I assume they are named Winter in this version, right?"

[BuckGodot]

Björn nods. "Yes... Her name is... Winter... We had just... finished exploring the... Past the rock... slide."

[silphael]

Seeming partially puzzled by the question, Maeni still answers :

"As far as I know, I'm a "Manuvri", human being that were changed by very long time spent into the deep. That's all I can say so far."

[Swami Monsoon]

"We spent some time studying the library. Studying a library, at least. The way you're describing it, it might not be the same library, or in the same condition, as the one you know."

[digiman619]

Flair turns a bit somber. "I can only hope that you fared better to the ghouls than we did."

[BuckGodot]

Björn nods... "We all... survived... If that's what you.. what you... mean... Although Jean... got sick..."he says, briefly gesturing to where Jean slept...

[PSinger]

"Okay," says Dorn. "We should have a talk with Winter. Wait, is Winter, okay ... perhaps you should introduce us to the leader of the survivors in this ...... reality?"

[Blackhawk101]

“How long has everyone been in Briarstone? I think I have been here for ten days.”

[lostsole31]

“Where did you come from and where are Bjorn and Gaye?” asks the clearly agitated brother. [after waiting for a response, he will provide his backstory] “My story is mostly still a mystery and what I do remember is full of gaps and inconsistencies. When I woke to this nightmare, I was in a cell with others watching a “Grey” torture someone. I didn’t know how I got there or who I was. We escaped and managed to find this sanctuary to rest at while we try to find a way out of here before we run out of food. Meanwhile, for no apparent reason, members of our group keep disappearing and others take there place. This has happened to me once before. I can remember some of my past now but somethings are still blurry. What about you?”

"I believe I have been the guest of this holiday resort, padre," says Heck. "I have never had any dreams of the type you mentioned. However, the last group - including Akbar - mentioned to me that they woke up in the basement of this Asylum to a fake doctor that they managed to overpower before climbing a cascade of disposed corpses to reach the upper level here, and had to do a task of clearing out these - Grays, as you call them - before being allowed to take shelter here.

"I neither know nor am interested in where your friends are. They may be with where the last group disappeared to, or someplace else entirely."

"I know who I am. Mostly... but almost everyone else here seems new. I remember the asylum, and strange enemies and lots of fighting. But how much of that really happened?"
"Let's assume, for the time being, that it has all happened," says Heck. "Until we have some evidence to the contrary. Regardless, the danger seems real enough, and past members of the adventuring group seemed to have died, yes? The danger is real, if not the exact events or even the setting."

Dorn answers Brother Jaume's question regarding himself, but for the sake of the two new persons. "I and friends I had were investigating a haunted, burnt-out old prison by the name of Harrowstone in the town of Ravengro in the northern part of Ustalav. Things took a bad turn and it looks like we were just about to be overborne by the most powerful haunt there - a vile creature once known as the Splatter Man - when I and my friend Gaye Kobor suddenly appeared at the Argus Wall out in the hallway along with the others here now that came with me. When we opened up the chaplain's records room, it seems that we were transported not only in place, but also in time. I am from a few years in the past.

"We did learn many fascinating things about our current internment. The first major thing is all that we learned in the library here. The second is what we learned from notes in the late administrator's office, including the oneirogen that was once the administrator herself. What about you two?" he asks of Heck and Akbar. "Did you learn from these places as well? We should trade notes to make sure there are no knowledge gaps since we were moved."

"I have also learned all I believe I can from the library concerning Briarstone Asylum, Isle, and Witch. Though we should compare notes just to be sure.

"Now, Akbar and his friends fought an oneirogen in the northwestern tower room, but that was definitely not the administrator or her office, of that I am sure from their recounting. And definitely no notes from the same, so it seems you learned something Akbar and company did not."

"We spent some time studying the library. Studying [I]a library, at least. The way you're describing it, it might not be the same library, or in the same condition, as the one you know."

"Okay," says Dorn. "We should have a talk with Winter. Wait, is Winter, okay ... perhaps you should introduce us to the leader of the survivors in this ...... reality?"
"Follow me...." says Heck, taking the group to Winter.

One the way, Brother Jaume pipes up...

“How long has everyone been in Briarstone? I think I have been here for ten days.”
"It's been a couple months for me," says Heck.

[Blackhawk101]

“So you believe the other members of your group to have perished? When the members of our party vanished both times we were in no immediate danger.” says Brother Jaume. “I don’t know what is going on, but your other party members may yet live.”

[lostsole31]

Heck gives a questioning look to Brother Jaume. "What makes you think I think that those that you think were part of a group with me in it perished? '[My] other party members," he lets linger. "Perhaps you mistake my function here. I am in the asylum because I partied to much, not because I am party to adventuring parties, for the most part. I read books and did the research for those that came before you; I don't know if that makes me part of their 'party.'"

[Blackhawk101]

”Your situation and ours, has changed. I assume that my companions and I will continue to explore Briarstone in an effort to escape. This will involve significant danger, at least as we perceive it. What will you do now?”
he asks both Heck and Akbar.

[lostsole31]

"Gods, you are insufferably pushy," says Lord Hanley. "Nothing until we debrief with Winter."

And with that, we end this conversation strain as G1 is now standing tall before Winter Klasczka (continued in G1). Later conversation can occur, so can be put here anyway, but anything that requires decision-making for plot-specifics is back to the normal IC thread.

[bcool999]

"As Flair previously introduced, I am called Bangs... Forgive me for being curt, but I would prefer to be left alone for a while." Bangs says as his gaze turns somewhat distant and continues, "I need to gather my thoughts, and find my bearings, you understand?"

[digiman619]

Flair sees the demonic looking man and cautiously approaches him. "I'm Flair. We've met before, yes? Back in the holding cells? We escaped and rescued the Sheriff the six sided badge?"

[meemaas]

Flair sees the demonic looking man and cautiously approaches him. "I'm Flair. We've met before, yes? Back in the holding cells? We escaped and rescued the Sheriff the six sided badge?"

"I do remember you. I had wondered what happened to you and the others, but I honestly believed that I had simply imagined you. Why have you returned? I'm unsure of why everyone has changed again in the time that I am told I've been asleep."

[digiman619]

Flair closed the gap and lifted Haru into a deep hug, laughing in joy as he does. "I'm back!" He then takes a deep breath and puts him down. "Sorry, It's just that I was worried that there was an identical Haru and not you. I've swapped around a bitso it can be hard to tell."

[lostsole31]

Gaye nods graciously to Bangs and leaves him to his thoughts.

[digiman619]

As soon as there is an opportunity, Flair will come up to Winter. "Um, as soon as it's convenient. I would like a word. You said that you were skilled in healing the minds of people? How exactly?"

[lostsole31]

Winter looks at Flair for a minute, trying to process his request. "I could ask the same question about you being able to call forth a holy apparition like you did. If I did, do you think you could satisfactorily answer me in handful of sentences? 'How exactly' indicates that you want the mechanics from 'a' to 'zed' on the matter, and here we are to the side as if you expect me to say a few words. If I tried to say a few things about the general concept of how I accomplish this, it is impossible to answer ... 'how exactly.' Just like it would be for you to tell me about your strange magic.

"So, this means that after asking that question, if you truly believed such a question answerable, you would not find a satisfactory answer. Or rather, I might give an answer you like, but it would not follow the form of the required 'how exactly.' On the other hand, if you were looking to discredit actual psychology, psychiatry, and magics that manipulate such in a curative aspect (rather than "weaponized" like so many enchanters), then such a question is perfect, at least in convincing yourself, of the futility and lack of credibility of my chosen profession within the church."

She lets that hang. "Or, perhaps we can dispense with 'how exactly' right now and I can assume you asked that question with a philosopher's truthful searching and open mind. If that was what you meant, I'm sorry for everything I said until now, because the science of psychology deals with such an abstraction and cannot be hidebound to A+B pedantics, that most philosophers, sages, and academics dismiss the field - and its adherents - out of hand."

She seems to be waiting for a reply, even though she didn't ask a question.

[digiman619]

Flair pinches his nose in to Winter's diatribe. "I may have misspoke. I am not attacking your profession. I was asking about your methodology. Is the healing mundane or mystical? Does the process take a few hours, or is this something that takes weeks to months to years? Does it involve causing harm in some way? I ask because I fear my ill-advise display may have caused undue psychic strain to those who witnessed it. How would we go about healing that harm?"

[lostsole31]

She relaxes some. "I apologize, because curt answers are what skeptics usually seek, it's sort of a knee-jerk reaction. And as I've known you for about two-weeks and this is the first time you actually wanted to know more about what I do and why I am here in the first place, and given last night's disagreement, I was curious if I was about to receive a passive-aggressive attack of some sort."

She takes a seat in a corner, beckoning you to likewise sit, as it seems she is going to talk at length rather than to the side. She thinks for a few minutes before trying to figure out how to begin. "There are many paths to take, mind you, but I believe that if one gives oneself to the healing arts - particularly something so ephemeral as the mind - to be truly successful, you cannot have half-measures. A dedicated physician that has been blessed with gifts beyond the commoner, likewise has to invests in knowledge and magic beyond the same. Anything else may well have been a waste. So, to answer your first question ... mystical, yes, if by that you mean magic. But I do not much care for the term 'mundane,' at least in the sense you used it. I know why you did, but the amount of time and effort it takes to amass a body of knowledge for psychiatry is immense. No physician, for that matter, who has learned at a degree and intensity higher than a country horse-bandager cures ills through 'mundane' means. Because no matter how treatments are devised - magical or academic - the core component that ties all threads together is Knowledge.

"Talent helps as well, and one should try to shore up one's weaknesses, but also be willing to recognize them as well and seek out specific-field experts as needed. I say that for two reasons ... first, I have no talent in pharmacology. I understand basic medicines needed for the conduct of my craft, but I have no skill in mixing poultices, balms, salves, or infusions. So, I leave that to the pharmacists. The second reason, is that to be a good psychiatrist for others, one needs to have keen self-knowledge: strengths and weaknesses and even mediocrities. In the words of Qumiess 'The Life Giver' - a silver dragon who studied as a several lifetimes' worths of human physicians - Temet Nosre. That's Draconic for 'Know Thyself.'"

"For me, I have approached medicine through five major spokes that seem to be the most successful for me. The first is Faith. As a changeling orphan, I was given to the care and instruction of Mother Thestia, then and now the high priestess of the Maiden's Choir Cathedral in Caliphas. In our cathedral, we focus less on Pharasma as the Lady of Graves, and more on Her as the Lady of Souls. A soul, unless destroyed through darkest magic, is undying and eternal. We pray not only for those souls in Our Lady's care, but also still living. In particular, Mother Thestia noted something about me that she wanted to groom. Even though I was barely instructed in the most basic mysteries, she invited me into a cell of her more gifted students.

"You see, one of the reasons I was selected for the priesthood - an honor not given to just any orphan, especially a hag's daughter - is that even without any instruction at all I was performing miracles. Most notably I am able to channel positive energy in a way similar to some priests who are actually blessed with their deity's power. Unlike a cleric, I don't need to focus through Pharasma's blessing through an icon of wood, silver, or tin. I can just ... do it. Also, the favored element of our lady is water, for water's life-giving (and life-taking) properties, and yet it was noted that I seem to have a connection with the earth. Through it I gain my strength and focus, and so Mother Thestia began to refer to me as a 'foundation of the faith.' And so that is what I try to be in how I live, and that foundation centers me, connects me with the deity who rewards my service with healing magic, and steels my mind against distraction. And so, Faith has naturally also promoted the second spoke of Resolve.

"The third spoke is surprising to most who don't understand psychiatry, but that is Art. Each person's spectres of fancy take unique shape. By focusing and studying on a medium of art (or several, if you have the talent), one learns the importance of allowing for vulnerability, but also creating a safe space in which to express; creativity; improvisation ... all tools that knowledge alone cannot teach. While art is useful to the everyday in many ways for entertainment ... or in promoting culture ... the obvious desire here is to use art as therapy. Now, Ms. Kóbor actually seems to be a trained and gifted healer, which is surprising for an opera singer, but she strikes me as someone who uses art to advance her position in life and as a more self-absorbed pursuit, even if it does uplift others and touch on the human experience. I will never play the great houses, but I am an actress. For me, though, I like to use theatre-as-therapy. By involving the would-be audience as participants, I have been able to allow patients to find consolation; to teach them small monologues they can quietly say to themselves to buoy their spirits when afraid; to give a proper avenue for grief so that real healing can begin ... and, yes, even just creating fun projects to help with flagging spirits.

"The fourth spoke is Composure. A patient can reach the greatest heights of frenzy and share truly terrifying secrets and traumas. I must always act with composure, and to do that I must approach life with moderation and balance.

"The fifth and final avenue is Knowledge, of which I already mentioned and no more need be said about its importance. One must always seek to learn. Whether that takes the form of greater mysteries of faith, scientific breakthroughs in medicine and psychology, even various other subjects to be able to keep up with the afflicted (because sometimes they are fiendishly clever and use their education to deflect, absorb, and evade).

"So, there you are ... FRACK."

[digiman619]

Flair nods as she goes on her explanation. "That's what I was afraid of. Not that I in any way doubt the efficacy of your techniques, but the time it will take to mend the minds here is longer that the food supplies will last, so it will have to wait until we get out of this place either way. I have no doubt that the teachings of this Lifegiver fellow are effective in the right circumstances. Ut nec legere librum draconis, sed possum dicere quod draconis lingua." He smiles, trying to show off his lingual expertise. He then pauses, a thought crossing his mind, still talking in Draconic. "Scilicet, Non sum habebat uti in casu draconicis meum *** ipsa draco, sic ut dicere poterit quod omnino nefas."

He shrugs before continuing. "Anyhow, If you're willing to talk me through some of it, I might be able to get a grip on how your technique works, and that might help me keep myself sane, if not help everyone else." He pauses, arguing with himself for a moment before continuing. "And for the record, my magic is actually quite simple. I bind spirits; vestiges of archetypal persons long past, and by giving them a chance to see the world once more through my eyes and experiences, they grant me power. If you know how to contact them, at least. In fact, anyone with the right knowledge and some determination can do it, though the more weak willed or unfortunate souls can find themselves being influenced by their pacts. I can show you how, if you like."

[lostsole31]

She nods at Flair and offers with a shrug, "Bene, vos autem non loquebatur sicut draco, vel."
"Well, you are not speaking to a dragon now, either."
She gives a bit of a laugh when Flair goes so far as to teach her his magic. She shakes her head and says, "No, it was a jarring experience to witness. And I ask you to no longer do that in front of the patients, who knows how they took it. Impressive, though. No, my curiosity is just that ... curiosity of the theory, but no incentive for the application. I already seek to entreat Pharasma for aid from her servants and I would rather not muddy my rods, or my favor with Her, for that matter. It is unfortunate that Royal Accuser Omari perished. Yet, if she witnessed your display - even though I agree that what I saw was holy in form - still, out of her own hidebound nature she might have you publicly castigated as being a trafficker of dark magics, saying that The Lady of Graves can sort out the matter when she sent you to Her."

[digiman619]

Flair smiles at the shared language. Trying to maintain the lead here, he rapidly switched between languages. "ואם אעבור לשפת המלאכים, האם זה יהיה מרשים? Peut-être que cette langue suffirait? Ce zici de asta o? Posso anche fare questo, ma ho sentito che non è usato dal più piacevole della gente."

He nodded at her request. "I think that wise, too. In fact, the possibility that it could have caused harm is why I talked to you in the first place. I should be able to manage it just fine by myself, but there's no need to risk anyone else. It's just during the contact that the risk is as far as I can tell, as I haven't seen any negative effects while bound."

At her declining of his teaching, he nods. "I can respect that. Faith is a tricky thing and if you feel your god would be..." he pauses for a moment "I don't think jealous has the right connotation, but I feel it's the most accurate term to use. If you think they might get jealous on the attention that a spirit can provide, I will trust your word on it."

His face darkened for a second upon hearing how the late Royal Accuser would have dealt with him. He fails to get a sentence started for a few seconds, covering his face in frustration. "What is it about devotion to a god that makes people ready to point fingers at anything they don't understand as unholy? Why is what I do so 'dark magic'? Why are Bjorn's seances okay, but me contacting archetypal spirits so bad? In fact, as far as I can tell, there are no evil archetypal spirits, which is more than I can say about the gods!"

It takes him a few moments, but he calms himself down. "I'm sorry. I went too far in my defense of my chosen area of expertise and I said things that you might have been offended by. I am sorry, I will try to keep a more civil tongue if the subject of my talents or religion comes back up. Are you still interested in showing me your healing techniques or has that ship sailed?"

In Celestial: If I switched to the language of the Angels, would that be impressive?
In Sylvan: Maybe this language would suffice?
In Varisian: How about this one?
In Infernal: I can even do this one, but I hear it's not used by the most pleasant of folk.

And before you bitch, Heck told me that Celestial=Hebrew, that's not OOC knowledge.

[lostsole31]

She listens to Flair's Babel-ing with beatific patience. When he is done (that section, before moving onto the next), in Taldane, she says simply, "Taldane, of course... Varisian, Draconic, Goblin, and Orc. And we shall continue in Taldane ..."

After Flair's anger, well, Flare's up ... and then abates, she answers. "Fear. And I am pretty sure, Royal Accuser Omari you would have followed Björn to some unnecessary and terribly reactionary judgment, not followed. Björn, from what I understand, calls on the restless souls of those who have not fully left the world and have somehow escaped Our Lady of Graves' judgment, and the ensuing afterlife that they earned. Now, what do you mean by you contacting ... spirits? What is the nature of those spirits?"

When she asks that question, but before you answer...
"Tell her, Gheri ... tell the priestess of death's guardian that you summon the unquiet dead. I dare you. I double-dog dare you."

[digiman619]

Flair struggled to find a way to explain it when he heard the voice. It talked to him with a name that was no longer his, about something that was only arguably true. He did his best not to show he heard it and instead frowned because he saw he had painted himself into a corner here. "I didn't thought this through enough. I should have put two and two together, and kept my mouth shut, because now I have to explain and you being what you are this might end badly, but you asked and there's no way out of this but through.

You know how when a person dies, their soul goes to one of the outer planes, which one depending on what they did while alive? Well, the spirits I contact never got there. The exact how varies, but when they died, something went wrong and trapped them in an in-between realm, where neither mortal nor apparently godly magic can reach them. While some of them were either tricked or cursed into going there, some of them are there by choice (or at least at their won hand). Evidence also suggests that some of the spirits were never strictly speaking alive in the first place, like a character that walked off the page of her book. As of yet, I cannot confirm that, however. The exact how and why a spirit is created is a mystery.

Flair exhaled noisily. "So there you have it. If you were the servant of pretty much any other god or goddess, this wouldn't be an issue, but as a priestess of the Lady of Graves, I understand if you feel this is blasphemous. If you feel that you are honor bound to try and bring me before your Royal Accusers, I will understand." There's not a chance in Hell that I'll let you, of course, Flair thought, but I'll understand why you did it.

"I would posit, however, that we aren't in a position to worry about the how I get things done as long as I do get them done. We need to find a way out of here, and until we do we need to let that be our primary focus. On the other hand, if you don't feel comfortable with me leading the strike force with this new knowledge, I will respectfully resign that commission. The final call on who to give the position is up to you, but I would suggest Corbin. He's a crack shot and knows when to fall back.

So I guess it all comes down to you. What is your verdict? What say you about me and what I do?"

[lostsole31]

Once again, Winter's calm demeanor is infectious as she holds a hand partially up, as if to wave away fear and doubt. "From what you've told me, you do not exhort the dead to come forth. You commune with spirits, and perhaps allow the powerful ones to work with you, but you don't actually animate the dead into a mockery of life. It's the same reason I don't have a problem with Björn's seances. I was not imparting my view, but rather the view of one of my late associate.

"And I agree, as long as we do not lose ourselves whole cloth in depravity, then survival is our goal.

"As it is, if I am being honest, I wonder if we are the ones who are dead. Or at the very least, if we are really existing now. Sometimes, I feel like while I am in this place, I am dreaming I am in this place, but other people are doing what you're doing. And that there were even more that were doing this, but failed. But when I awake, or think I awake, it is the same one's that have always been here. And yet, because of the dreams, I can never quite remember. Absolutely everyone else seems to sleep soundly in this chapel, as if there were a power here to ward away terror. But since my dreams are not born of terror but confusion, I do not get the same protection."

"Gheri, if you ain't listenin' to her now, you better."

"I've even tried to remember some of the strange people I've seen in my dreams, and write down their names, but my duties are such that I can never remember in time."

A small silence. "Then, there are ... other ... times." Here her voice takes on a slightly haunted tone. "On rare occasions when I am truly tired, I catch glimpses of a fantastic place - both terrifying and wonderful. A sea of glass coffins, each of them filled. And though they are like the dead, yet there are things attached to the coffins that make me wonder if they are really sleeping. Once, I saw it closer in ... and thought I saw myself in there. The coffin was standing, and I thought I might have drowned I was floating in the liquid still ... until I, seeing myself, saw 'my' eyes open ... and look into my own. It was terrifying, and though I haven't had the coffin-dream but a few times, I haven't had it since."

"The Outside, Gheri. I think she can see ... Outside."

[digiman619]

Flair argues with himself for a second before he grabs her hand comfortingly. "Listen, Winter, a lot weird things are going around and I will not stop until I find us a way out of here. Know that. But there's something you should know. As best I can figure, there two Briarstone Asylums. And I don't mean "it has a public and private face", I mean, two identical buildings with identical contents. I was shunted from this one to the other one when the Argus Wall was destroyed, and I spent the last week there, only to be bounced back here a day ago."

"However, you mentioned knowing me for two weeks now. I think I know why you feel that. You see, While the patients and survivors were different, there was one constant. You. You existed in both iterations, doing whatever you could to help and protect the survivors. I don't understand how, but I think you might be overlayed between the iterations, existing in both simultaneously. That's why you dream of seeing the same place, but different people. Because you have."

He grasped a bit tighter "I don't know what the second dream means, but know that I will find a way to help you. To help us all. But you've got to hold yourself together. The people here rely on you for leadership and comfort and if you crumble, so will they. Keep strong. If you need me for anything, let me know and I'll be there." He smirks for a moment "Though I would recommend not asking while I'm in the field as dropping what I'm doing to come help might prove difficult."

He releases her hand. "Is there anything I can do to help you? Or anything else you wanted to talk about?"

He then 'thinks' at the voice that has been speaking to him. "Hello? Who are you? Care to tell me what you mean by "The Outside", or are you going to stay mysterious and unhelpful?"

[lostsole31]

As far as her hand, it seems like there is an internal warmth, a tingliness that you can't explain. Or rather, it creates a warmth and tingliness in yours.

Winter asks, "What about Captain York, his guards, the staff, the patients?"

As far as ... whatever else ... no reply.

[digiman619]

Flair wasn't surprised when the other voice failed to answer him. Either whatever way it was contacting him was one-way, or just as likely, it enjoyed being mysterious. Turing his attention to Winter, he continues. "Captain York is there, but as for everyone else... I don't know. Maybe I wasn't paying enough attention to them, but they all fade together in my memory, like they were background actors in a play."

He looks down at her hand, being held in his own. "I know we've butted heads in the past, but I swear that I will do everything in my power to get us out of here. I don't want to lose anyone else. I've already had to bury multiple squad mates trying to get out of here. I will do everything I can to bring you to safety. Everyone else, too."

[lostsole31]

She nods thankfully with a squeeze of the hand, and then takes "possession" of her hand again. "That's all anyone can ask of any of us, is in seeing to the good of this strange community we have.

"Now back to our discussion. Before I we ever even talk about higher needs or the like. I want to tell you some very simple tricks to help you figure out some basic motivations before we..."

And for now, that is where this Interaction ends as she begins her lesson. As with the off-camera, not-wholly-real-time nature of RP Interactions, a more general discussion can be made at any time. I am only closing this one out specifically because it actually occurred at a specific time and in a specific circumstance. Of course, the same holds true with any RP Interaction with another PC or NPC, assuming that a possibility would exist that you would have been able to get them alone (if such is needed).

[digiman619]

"So what about you? What do you bring to the table that can help get us out of this mess?"
"So what about you? What do you bring to the table that can help get us out of this mess?"
"So what about you? What do you bring to the table that can help get us out of this mess?"

[Blackhawk101]

After calming down and some morning prayers, Brother Jaume is feeling more congenial.
“Hello Flair!” *vigorous shaking of hands*“I am Brother Jaume, a follower of Erastil and a monk of the order of the Green Abbey. To answer your question, I am good in a fight and have some divine healing powers and other abilities granted by Erastil. How about you?
Have you met any of the other amnesiacs that we know: Bjourn, Jean and Javert, or Gaye? What have you discovered so far?”

https://www.reapermini.com/graphics/gallery/4/IG_1174_1.jpg

[digiman619]

Flair smiles; he wasn't expecting such a pleasant introduction. "I have, in fact. Gaye and Bjorn were here just before you arrive, though if I'm being honest, she and I didn't really see eye to eye. Wait, was this Jean and Javier duo a guy and a raven? Because otherwise I haven't really seen any one that would require being in a duo like you implied."

"As for what I do, I have some martial prowess, but I do best in a support role with ranged combat as a secondary."

[Blackhawk101]

BJ nods vigorously. “Aye! A skinny fellow and a great turkey of a raven! Good friends.
We haven’t explored upstairs yet. How about you?”

[digiman619]

"Yeah, that was him, though he was just going by his patient number at that point, so I'm glad he got his name sorted out. And no, we haven't really gone upstairs, though we're about ready to head up the stairs here once we have our full tactics meeting. Anything else I should know?"

[Blackhawk101]

“Let us meet with the whole group to review notes and formulate a plan.”

[lostsole31]

Taken aback by Flair's direct question, Nadya thinks .... probably longer than is necessary ... but Flair has already learned listening to how she spoke at her public introduction that whatever blessings Nadya may have withal, a dazzling intellect is not one of them. That, and she has a naturally nervous energy (yup, Twitchy trait). Because of some of the things she admits, she doesn't speak loudly at all, especially whispering anytime she mentions the sanctuary.

"I haven't done anything that makes me really great. I don't think I have killed any Tribals, though I helped hurt a couple. Even my magic isn't spectacular. Useful, but not spectacular. Ummm, I guess the thing I do is that if someone attacks me, they will probably miss? Especially if I make that spell happen that creates unseen blocking stuff in front of me? Akbar called it a shield spell.

"Just because I can survive, doesn't mean I'm useful in helping others do that. Honestly? My last group wasn't even sure I should go with and that I should stay with the others. But I saw them as a better chance at survival than waiting at the chapel to get slaughtered once the apostles banded together. And since I can turn into a cloud, they figured they couldn't bind me, and they're not the boss of me, so they didn't try to argue when I demanded that I was coming with them."

"Why do your clothes glow?"

[digiman619]

"Just because you're not a heavy hitter doesn't mean you're not useful and if your previous group weren't successful in trying to get you to stay back, I doubt I will either." He then put his hand on his chin in thought. "Turning into a cloud is a neat trick, though; it's possible to do with magic, but only those with access to the third circle can use it and if you had that, you'd know way more than just those two spells. Do you know how you can do that?"

Dropping his hand, he finishes with "As for my clothes, you know how clerics and such get power from their gods? It's something like that."

[lostsole31]

"I did it the first time because I was afraid, and did it reflexively."

...

"So, you're a priest? What stuff do you pray to?"

[digiman619]

"I think I know how you do it, if you're curious. Or 'why you're able to' to be more precise. And I never said I prayed to anything."

[lostsole31]

"If you don't pray, how do you talk to your god to get your power?"

[digiman619]

Flair smirked. "Who said it came from a god?" He then raised a finger. "And before you ask, it's not from a demon, devil or any other extraplanar evil. My power comes from a more..." he gestured with his hands in a circular motion. "esoteric source. Remember that weird chanting this morning? That was part of my..." he tilted his head back and forth with indecision for about two seconds before ending with "...short term contract."
As Flair was getting ready to leave, he turned to the doctor. "As much fun as our conversations last night were, I'm afraid we've gotta go. I should be back in a day or two. Heck, if the oneirogen isn't too much of an issue, I might be back by this afternoon." He put his arm on his shoulder. "So stay safe in the mean time, okay?" He then turned to head back with the others.

[lostsole31]

Nadya is understandably confused, but as is the way with many who are not cursed with an analytical mind, she shrugs and accepts what she is told.
Dr. Elbourne nods and says, "May the North Star guide and protect you on your mission."

[SwordChucks]

Zoo approaches Ivory "Excuse me mademoiselle. You might not remember me as I was a dog at the time, but I wanted to apologize for my part in invading your kitchen." He touches a knot on his head gently. "I wanted to let you know that there are no hard feelings and that I appreciate you not killing me."

[lostsole31]

"Like that?" she says. "No, no hard feelings at all. I can't vouch for when you're a dog, though. Dog makes a fine meal."

[SwordChucks]

"I'll have to keep that in mind." Zoo says nervously. "We should trade recipes when this is all over."

[lostsole31]

She shakes her head slowly. "No, sorry. Trade secrets. Besides, I don't use 'recipes.'"

[digiman619]

As soon as they had a degree of privacy, he motions for Jens to drop the Collective for a minute. He then asks in a low, calm voice, "You want to tell me what happened back there?"

[bcool999]

Dropping the collective, Jens frowns and says, "I believe I explained 'what happened' in front of the group back there... don't tell me you blame me for killing that Bag Lady or whatever she is called? My power merely knocked her out, which did help the dog go for the jugular I suppose. Not that I believe you would have gotten much out of her. Her mind was jagged shards stabbing out at the world and into her self in equal measure, if you are worried about Winter, don't. I don't care if she does channel the power of her god, there are some things gods can't and shouldn't try to fix."

[digiman619]

Flair shook his head. "That's not what I'm worried about; you didn't cause her death. I'm concerned with what happened after." Flair's visage softened; compassion clear in his voice. "Jens, you're a good man. You've been a faithful companion and healer for as long as I've known you, and that hasn't changed. Believe me when I say I know what it's like to have religious fools claim demonic influence about your work just because they don't understand it." There was a noticeable pause, as Flair looked down "But Brother Jaume was right about one thing: a person with your power could use it for horrible things, and abuse of that power could twist and corrupt the user."

For a half second, Flair let that sentence hang, but in a quiet voice, he continued. "Don't let it. I don't know how thoroughly you remember the admission notes, but as Father Dorn suggested, I was once a cruel, twisted man. I delighted in the suffering of others; and pumped my own importance by insisting on being called by a now meaningless title. That aspect of me didn't metaphorically go up in a puff of smoke when I woke up behind those bars. I mean, I'm the de facto leader of this little expedition. I could demand a title. I could ignore Winter's suggestions and kill every survivor and claim we didn't see any. I could do so much undue harm, to both my enemies and my allies."

Flair gently held Jens' hand, empathy and conviction in his voice. "But I don't. Because every morning, I choose not to. I metaphorically look into the mirror and choose not to be that man. You can do the same. Choose not to be the Jens that abandons compassion. Choose not to be the you that takes joy in the power of a dying mind. I believe in your goodness and decency. Please believe in it too."

[bcool999]

”Look Flair” Jens says as he takes his hand back, ”I know my sudden burst of confidence and aggressiveness may seem unsettling, but they are also a part of me. A part you may not see beneath the surface of the meek compassionate Jens, but a part that is always there nonetheless. I accept that there are parts of myself I may not like, and I am not the only one with inner demons. As long as I remain myself I will never hurt our team, but, as a leader, you must plan for the possibility that this place warps me into... something else. I have seen signs of Corbin having trouble and I am sure everyone has felt the effects of this place. So if I ever fall to my baser nature, do not hesitate, becausd I know I won’t.

[digiman619]

Flair's jaw clenched slightly; that wasn't the response he was hoping for, but it was one he could deal with. "Okay. Should it come to that, I can take that responsibility. Here's hoping it doesn't come to that, though." He then smiles. "Okay, enough worry of what might be. Whenever you're ready, set me up in the collective again and take this fight to Zandalus himself."

[silphael]

As the night begins to settle, Maeni goes closer to Flair's bed.

"Do you... do you think it might happen again ? I hope I won't have to be kept watch upon all my life..."

[digiman619]

Flair does his best to calm Maeni down. "Near as I can figure, you got whammied by the negative emotional craziness that was the Tatterman and/or the ritual we used to pull the Asylum back into the material plane. I'm not going to say that it's not going to have ongoing consequences, but it's entirely possible that what hit you was a one-time effect."

He gets a tad more serious before continuing. "However, we have to keep an eye on it for the time being to determine if that's the case. A lot of this will have to include self-diagnosis. Keep track of unusual hunger and desires on your end, while I'll monitor you from the outside. Together, we'll have as complete a picture of this as we can. I'll keep council with Winter on how best to proceed, but I believe we can handle this."

He smiled playfully. "Now, unless you want us to push these beds together and spend the evening that way, I suggest you do your best to put that out of your mind for right now and get some shut eye. I don't know about you, but I've been looking forward to sleeping in a real bed for weeks now."

[silphael]

Going back to her bed, she murmurs :
"I'm not sure if making a double bed that way would really allow us to really enjoy the evening."

[digiman619]

Flair chuckles to himself. "Good night, Maeni." With that, he laid onto his own bed and let himself relax and sleep blissfully took him a few moments later.